The half hour up, Hal sent the airship lower and lower.  Soon, a faint gray speck below became visible, assuming larger and larger proportions, until all aboard made out the ground beneath.

And then, half a mile ahead, a body of troops were seen.  Hal checked the speed of the craft immediately.

“Don’t know who they are,” he explained.  “We’ll be careful.  They may be all right and then again they may not be.”

He sent the machine higher again and a few minutes later the craft hung directly above the troops below.

“I can’t make out those uniforms,” declared Chester.

“Nor I,” said Hal.  “However, they are not Austrian, I can see that.  We’ll take a chance and go down.”

Again the machine moved closer toward the earth, and a few minutes later came to rest upon the ground a short distance from the main body of troops.  A squad of men, let by an officer, came hurriedly forward, covering the four friends with their rifles.

“By Jove!” exclaimed Colonel Anderson.  “You must have miscalculated a bit, Hal.  I recognize them now.”

“Well, who are they?” demanded the lad.

“Montenegrins.”

“Good,” cried Chester.  “Then we are among friends.”

The four friends raised their hands in token of surrender as the officer and his men came toward them.  A few paces away, the officer halted and addressed them.

Hal shook his head.

“Can’t understand that lingo,” he exclaimed.

He addressed the officer in English and the officer also indicated that he could not understand.

“Don’t want to tackle him in German if I can help it,” said Hal.  “It might not suit him.”

“Well, what’s the matter with French?” Chester wanted to know.

“Nothing, I guess,” returned Hal.  “I’ll try him.  We are British officers,” he said, addressing the Montenegrin officer, “and we have just escaped from the Austrians.”

The Montenegrin understood and replied in broken French: 

“How am I to know you are not of the enemy?”

“Well, I don’t know, to tell the truth,” Hal replied with a pleasant smile.  “I am afraid it does look a little bad for us, as we have nothing to prove our identities.  But if you have a British or French officer about here, perhaps we can convince him.”

The Montenegrin nodded.

“Fortunately, we have,” he said.  He ordered one of his men to summon Colonel Edwards.

“By Jove!” said Anderson.  “I know an Edwards.  I wonder can it be the same?”

“No such luck, I am afraid,” said Chester.

But it was; and a few moments later Colonel Edwards and Colonel Anderson were shaking hands affectionately.

CHAPTER III.

The king of the Montenegrins.

With his hand upon Edwards’ arm, Colonel Anderson approached Hal and Chester.